Apparatus for making cigarette filter tubes

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for producing cigarette paper filter tubes is disclosed. The apparatus comprises an assembly for continuously forming cigarette paper into a hollow elongate tube and means are provided for sequentially cutting cigarette tube lengths from an advancing leading end of the hollow elongate tube. The apparatus additionally includes an assembly for forming and inserting a plug of filter material sequentially into one end of the cigarette tube lengths, and includes clamping means for holding the cigarette tube lengths during insertion of the plug of filter material. The assembly for forming and inserting the plug of filter material consists of an indexed intermittently moving endless belt carrying and advancing filter material, with the endless belt advancing the filter material which is in the form of a rope or tow incremental distances equal to a desired length of a plug of filter material. Severing means are provided for sequentially severing filter plugs of equal and constant length from a leading end of the filter rope or tow, and transfer means are provided for sequentially advancing filter plugs into a filter plug injection nipple in axial alignment with a cigarette tube length held in clamping position. Means are provided for reciprocally advancing the filter plug injection nipple into an open end of the clamped cigarette tube length and for retracting the nipple therefrom, and restraining means are provided to hold one plug of filter material within a cigarette tube length during retraction of the nipple.

United States Patent Kastner APPARATUS FOR MAKING CIGARETTE FILTER TUBES [76] Inventor: Arnold Kastner, 10220 Armand Lavergne, Montreal, Quebec, Canada [22] Filed: Feb. 13, 1974 [21] Appl. No.1 442,108

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Oct. 30, 1973 Canada 184642/73 [52] US. Cl. 93/1 C; 93/77 FT [5]] Int. Cl. A24C 5/50 [58] Field of Search... 93/1 C, 77 F1, 77 R, 77 CL, 931/94 R; 131/26] R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,035,211 3/1936 Aivaz 93/77 FT 2,039,298 5/1936 Davidson 93/77 FT X 2,236,579 4/1941 Rundell..... 93/77 FT X 2,597,720 5/1952 Gamble 93/77 FT 3,362,413 l/l968 Redford et a1. 93/1 C X Primary Examiner-Roy Lake Assistant Examiner.lames F. Coan [57] ABSTRACT Apparatus for producing cigarette paper filter tubes is disclosed. The apparatus comprises an assembly for continuously forming cigarette paper into a hollow elongate tube and means are provided for sequentially cutting cigarette tube lengths from an advancing leading end of the hollow elongate tube. The apparatus additionally includes an assembly for forming and inserting a plug of filter material sequentially into one end of the cigarette tube lengths, and includes clamping means for holding the cigarette tube lengths during insertion of the plug of filter material. The assembly for forming and inserting the plug of filter material consists of an indexed intermittently moving endless belt carrying and advancing filter material, with the endless belt advancing the filter material which is in the form of a rope or tow incremental distances equal to a desired length of a plug of filter material. Severing means are provided for sequentially severing filter plugs of equal and constant length from a leading end of the filter rope or tow, and transfer means are provided for sequentially advancing filter plugs into a filter plug injection nipple in axial alignment with a cigarette tube length held in clamping position. Means are provided for reciprocally advancing the filter plug injection nipple into an open end of the clamped cigarette tube length and for retracting the nipple therefrom, and restraining means are provided to hold one plug of filter material within a cigarette tube length during retraction of the nipple.

11 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures Patent Oct.- 14, 1975 Sheet 1 of 3 3,911,797

U.S. Patent Oct. 14, 1975 Sheet 2 of 3 3,911,797

U.S.-Patent Oct. 14,1975 Sheet3of3 3,911,797

APPARATUS FOR MAKING CIGARETTE FILTER TUBES The present invention relates to apparatus for the manufacture of cigarette paper filter tubes, and particularly to apparatus for the manufacturing of hollow tubes made of cigarette paper having filter plugs provided in one end thereof.

Cigarette smokers often prefer to make their own cigarettes either for reasons of economy or to obtain a cigarette more to their own liking. Such cigarettes are made using one of the do-it-yourself cigarette making machines available on the market, and bulk cigarette tobacco and ready-formed cigarette paper filter tubes. These tubes when purchased consist of hollow cylindrical lengths of cigarette paper having a filter plug provided in one end thereof and the smoker simply uses the machine to inject a quantity of tobacco into the open end of the cigarette paper tubes.

Due to the ever increasing costs of ready-made cigarettes, the demand for cigarette paper filter tubes is ever increasing and with presently available machinery the demand for these tubes often exceeds the supply.

The machines presently used for making cigarette filter tubes form an elongated rod from a supply of cigarette paper, and the elongate rod is then severed into cigarette lengths and a filter plug is then inserted into one end of each of the cigarette tube lengths, and it is then necessary to further trim the filter end of the cigarette tube to provide a smooth end surface due to inaccuracies in the insertion. It is at this point of insertion and trimming that difficulties arise in existing machinery requiring the continuing presence of a skilled operator to keep the machine running smoothly; and this method of filter tube production is capable only of a limited feed production and which speed is far less than that desired. Additionally, with existing machines filter material is supplied from small bobbins of narrowly cut filter material with each bobbin having an actual running time of less than two minutes. Consequently, it will be appreciated that constant operator attention must be given to the machine to change bobbins every two i that between bobbin changes filter material is not supplied for insertion into the end of the tube and an improperly formed tube must be discarded, With presently known machines the absolute maximum production possible is 250 cigarette tubes per minute, whereas the present inventive machine is capable of tube production in excess of 400 and up to over 500 tubes per minute with less wastage and with greater economy both from the aspect of materials used in the production of the tubes and the labour factor.

With existing machines as described above, filter material taken from the small bobbins are transferred by a double transfer manoeuvre to a position where individually formed filter plugs are inserted into the end of an advancing elongated hollow cigarette paper tube, and this double transfer necessitates the presence of many interrelated and moving parts with the result that timing and indexing of the various component parts becomes exceedingly difficult and it is critical that the timing and indexing of movement of various parts of the machine be precise if successful operation is to be achieved.

The present invention overcomes the above disadvantages inherent in known cigarette tube making machines by providing a supply of filter material which will run without attention for a period of many hours, and in addition the cost of a large reel or supply of filter material results in substantial savings over the cost of the small bobbin arrangement presently used. Moreover, the apparatus of the present invention involves substantially less and fewer interrelated moving component parts with the result that the machine is less costly to build and maintain and yet provides a machine which will provide increased production at lower cost. In view of the fact that the present machinery has fewer moving parts, precise indexing and regulation of the moving parts of the machine is easily achieved and maintained with less wear on all of the parts involved.

By using the present inventive apparatus, and employing a large master reel or roll of acetate or cellulose filter material in the form of rope, tow or ribbon, which may be upwards of 4,000 meters in length and continuously run for a period of 20 to 30 hours, there is no loss of operator time in frequently exchanging bobbin rolls of filter material, nor are empty tubes being made during the changing of small bobbins and the production of cigarette paper filter tubes is efficiently improved by reducing the cost of material; the elimination of waste and a substantially higher yield of cigarette tubes per labour unit, in addition to the fact that the operator is left to concentrate on the quality of the tubes themselves, i.e., closer scrutiny of diameter variations, consistency of the brand name imprint and regulation of various devices required for the seam forming and simulated cork-tipping of the cigarette paper.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION The machine of the present invention can be considered as consisting of three separate general areas, (1) an area for forming a ribbon of cigarette paper into an elongate hollow tube; (2) an area where filter material is supplied by means of an intermittently movable endless belt, and (3) a filter plug insertion area where filter plugs of suitable lengths (10 1 1 mm.) are inserted into the open end of a hollow paper cigarette tube.

The cigarette paper forming area noted as (1) above is common in the art, and consists of a supply roll of ribbon of cigarette paper which is fed by knurled drive wheels around a former member to shape the ribbon from flat section into circular cross-section and into the form of an elongate tube. During forming and gluing of the ribbon into the tube, brand names are imprinted on the advancing cigarette paper, and if desired, simulated cork tip strips are applied to the cigarette paper by means of adhesive, and as the tube advances severing means which preferably are in the form of a scissors assembly are provided to cut the advancing tube into suitable lengths thus providing a hollow tube formed of cigarette paper. After cutting, each individual length is advanced onto an intermittently rotating drum which is provided with slots to receive the cigarette tube lengths, and means are provided for holding the hollow cigarette tube lengths, in the slots during insertion of a filter plug into the end of each length.

Area (2) provides means for rotatably mounting a large reel of filter material which, as indicated above, has a running time of up to 30 hours, and means to intermittently advance filter material from the reel to area (3) with the intermittently advancing means being in the form of an intermittently movable endless belt which encircles the filter material and moves same along causing the supply reel to rotate and supply more filter material. In one embodiment of the inventive concept, the filter material is in the form of a rather wide but very thin ribbon of cellulose material having a width in the order of 8 to inches with the ribbon when leaving the reel passing between two mating em- 10 bossing rollers which pleat the ribbon of filter material in accordiantype fashion. The pleated filter material then passes through a gamiture of pleating funnel arrangement where the pleated ribbon of material is compressed laterally to form a pleated rope of filter material. The rope of pleated filter material is then carried by the intermittently moving belt to an area where filter plugs of desired lengths (10 ll mm.) are severed from the end of the rope and the severed plug is then transferred to area (3) for insertion into the open end of a length of cigarette tube. In a second and preferred embodiment of the invention concept, the large reels of filter material are in the form of rolled rope type filter material, and in this latter embodiment, the mating embossed rollers are not required and the rope or tow of material is simply intermittently carried by the endless belt to the severing means and after severing a plug of desired length is then passed to area (3) apparatus where the plug is inserted into the cigarette tube length.

The reel of filter material is rotated by the intermittent 30 movement of the endless belt, and the belt during a length of its path of travel is formed into a circular configuration enclosing the filter material to advance same by predetermined amounts of 10 1 mm. or whatever the desired length of filter plug may be. In both of the embodiments recited above, a plug of filter material is cut by a rotating circular knife which moves transversely with respect to the advancing rod of filter material and severs the filter material into plugs of precisely the desired length. To determine that precisely 10 mm. or the desired length cuts only will be made, the endless belt isdriven by a ratchet device which allows only a, 10 mm. (or desired length) movement of the belt, and since ratchets have an intermittent motion, sufficient time is allowed for the rotating circular knife to cut the rope or tow of filter material while the rod is in a momentarily stopped position. The severing of filter plugs is accomplished as indicated by a rotating circular knife which is mounted for reciprocal motion normally with 50 respect to the longitudinal length of the filter rod and into a cutting position and away from the rod to a position permitting advancement of the tow or rope to a next cutting position. The end of the advancing filter rope first passes through a stationary supporting block and then into a laterally movable transfer block and during the severing the knife passes between the blocks to cut off the plugs. In a preferred construction, each block is provided on facing surfaces with bevelled ledger plates against which the cutting edge of the circular knife rubs during cutting movement of the knife and this ensures continuing sharpness of the knife and increases production still further as the machine does not have to be shut down to sharpen the knife blade. The transfer block is laterally movable by means of an arm which is cam activated and suitably indexed to a position where a reciprocably mounted plug injection rod pushes against the plug and forces the plug into an injection nipple of the machine. The injection rod pushes the plug into a rear position of the nipple and the nipple is reciprocably mounted whereby during forward movement of the nipple enters into the open end of a hollow cigarette tube length. The nipple of course carries a filter plug therewith and during return movement of the nipple out of the length of cigarette tube restraining means in the form of a stripper plate contacts the filter through a longitudinal slot provided along one side of the nipple with the result that the plug stays inside the filter tube. After the plug has been inserted into the end of a length of cigarette tube, the tube is released from the slotted drum and the finished cigarette filter tube is carried or conveyed away to a packing station. With this insertion arrangement, the end of the filter plug is precisely flush with the end of the cigarette tube length and no trimming of the end of the finished cigarette paper filter tube is required.

It is an object of the present invention then to provide apparatus for the continuous manufacture of cigarette paper filter tubes with the apparatus producing these tubes at a high speed of production with minimum wastage and operator attention.

It is a further object to provide apparatus as described having a minimum number of movable and working parts requiring little attention and maintenance during production.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS The present invention will now be described more fully in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates the apparatus of the invention in side perspective view;

FIG. 2 illustrates in top plan view a portion only of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 for a better understanding thereof;

FIG. 3 illustrates in enlarged perspective view a portion of the belt indexing mechanism illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIG. 4 illustrates in enlarged perspective view the stripper plate arrangement illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION With reference now to the drawings in detail, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate apparatus for the production of filter tip cigarette tubes, including main framing members 2 supporting suitable apparatus indicated generally by numeral 4 and shown to the right in these Figures for forming cigarette paper 6 supplied by reel 8 into an elongate hollow tube 10 with attached cork simulated mouthpiece portion 12.

Such apparatus for the forming of an elongated hollowtube of cigarette paper from a ribbon of cigarette paper drawn from roll 8 with means for forming the cigarette paper into a tube and the gluing of same and the application of simulated cork tipping on the formed cigaretee paper is known in the art of producing cigarettes and hollow filter tubes and further discussion is believed unnecessary here, with the possible exception that as shown in FIG. I, simulated cork paper 12 is applied to the advancing tube of cigarette paper 6 at spaced distances therealong with the distances being substantially equal to the length of a finished cigarette tube.

Numeral 14 generally indicates apparatus appearing to the left in FIGS. 1 and 2 relating to the forming and severing of filter plug material and the transfer and insertion of individual filter plugs into the ends of the hollow paper tube lengths produced by the apparatus indicated generally at 4.

The filter plug forming, severing, transferring and inserting apparatus shown generally at 14 in combination combines a number of individual but closely associated and correspondingly indexed mechanisms as follows:

supply of filter plug material;

belt means for intermittently advancing the filter plug material in uniform indexed relationship with the movements of the remaining portions of the apparatus;

severing mechanism for cutting the advancing filter plug material into proper plug lengths;

means for transporting a severed filter plug laterally with respect to the advancing unsevered filter plug material;

means for displacing a cut filter plug forwardly into a filter plug inserting nipple;

means for moving the nipple forwardly into an open end of a hollow tube length of cigarette paper; and

means for restraining the plug within the hollow tube length of cigarette paper upon withdrawl of the filter plug inserting nipple from the tube.

In the interests of better understanding, these individual components will be discussed separately and then the operation of the complete apparatus will be described to provide a full and complete knowledge of the inventive apparatus.

Filter plug material 16 is supplied from a large reel or spool 18 rotatably supported on upright framing members 20 in a manner shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

In full lines in FIG. 1, the filter plug material carried by the reel 18 is in the form of a rope or tow 16 as shown. In a further embodiment, the filter material carried by the reel 18 may be in the form of a ribbon or strip of cellulose or acetate material as shown in broken lines in FIG. 1. This embodiment will be described in more detail below.

The filter material advancing means consists of an endless belt 22 which passes around an inner pulley or spool 24 which is pivotally mounted on shaft 26 as shown in FIG. 2 but which is omitted from FIG. 1 for clarity. The belt also passes around outermost spool or pulley 28 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3; and the lower portion of the belt passes around pulley 30 and then around drive pulley 32 and subsequently back around pulley 34 to pulley 28. As shown in FIG. 3, rotatable shaft 36 which carries drive pulley 32 is also secured to indexing wheel 38, the movement of which is controlled by movement of advancing ratchet or cog 40. The ratchet or cog 40 is rotatably mounted to frame 2 by means of pivot 42, and is securely affixed to plate 44 which in turn is pivotally secured to rod 46 by means of pivot pin 48. The rod 46 is secured to hub 50 which is eccentrically mounted on secondary drive shaft 52 which is driven by main drive shaft 54 through gears 56 and 58 as shown in the drawings. The main drive shaft 54 is driven by an electric motor (not shown) by suitable means such as a gear drive or a V-belt drive, and while these drive mechanisms are not shown in the drawings, suitable protective coverings therefor is indicated by numeral 60 (FIG. 1).

During forward movement of the upper portion of the belt 22, the belt passes through a forming member shown at 62 which transforms the belt from one having a flat surface to one having a circular cross-section, and the filter rope or tow 16 is carried by the belt during the passage of the belt through the forming assembly. After passage through the fomiing assembly, the belt flattens out as at 64 in FIG. 2, and the circular (in crosssection) filter plug material then passes thorugh a conducting tube assembly generally shown at 66 and 68 in the drawings to a position where the advancing end of the filter tow is severed into filter plug lengths.

As the belt 22 intermittently moves, the amount of movement is equal to the desired length of the filter plug to be inserted into a hollow cigarette tube, with each movement of the belt advancing the filter tow material a length exactly in conformity with the desired final length of the filter plug. The degree of intermittent advancement of the belt is controlled by cog 40 acting on indexing wheel 38 and with this arrangement it is a simple matter to change the length of the resultant filter plugs by replacing drive pulley 32 with one having a larger or smaller diameter depending upon whether a filter plug of greater of lesser length is required.

An exact filter plug length is cut by circular knife 70 which reciprocally moves in and out in a direction transverse to the direction of advance of the tow according to arrow 72 in FIG. 2, and between ledger plates 74. The rotating circular knife 70 is driven in rotation by means of a chain drive comprising sprocket wheels 76, 77, 78 and chains 80 and 82 with the chain 82 being driven by a sprocket wheel 84 (FIG. 1) carried and driven by the main axle 54. The housing 86 carrying the shaft to which the circular knife 70 is secured is pivotally mounted at 88 to framing and the housing 86 is movable about this pivot to positions where the circular knife cuts a portion of the filter tube material and to a position wherein the knife is removed from the path of travel of the advancing filter tow. This is accomplished by means of pivotally connected arms 90 and 92 with arm 90 being pivotally secured to an uppermost portion of the housing 86 with the end of arm 92 being eccentrically secured to the rotating main axle 54. Thus, as the main axle 54 rotates, the chain drive rotates the circular knife 70, and for each rotation of the main drive, the circular knife reciprocates into and out of a filter plug cutting position as shown by the arrow 72 in FIG. 2. As the intermittently movable belt 22 advances a length of filter plug material across the space between the two ledge plates 74, and into stationary block 94 the circular disc knife is in a position as shown in full lines in FIG. 2 but when the belt has stopped moving the circular knife advances between the two ledger plates to sever a correct length of filter plug material. The two ledger plates are loosely mounted on their supporting blocks 94 and 95 and during cutting action the knife contacts the ledger plates 74 which results in a selfsharpening action which increases production still further as machine shut down time to sharpen the knife is avoided.

A severed filter plug shown in broken lines at 96 in FIG. 2 is then contained within stationary block 94 and during earlier forward movement of this plug into this block a previously severed but still axially aligned plug is advanced into a movable transfer block 98 which is reciprocally movable from a position shown in full lines in FIG. 2 to lateral position (downwardly in FIG. 2) and in alignment with the filter plug advancing rod 102. This latter position of the filter plug 100 is indicated at in FIG. 2. The transfer block 98 is secured to arm 99 which is moved reciprocally in the directions of arrow 103 by means of a cam drive arrangement indicated generally by numeral 105.

The filter plug advancing rod 102 is driven in reciprocal movement (arrow 104) by means of disc or wheel 106 which is provided on the end of secondary drive shaft 52 and which carries an eccentrically mounted arm 108 pivotally secured to disc 106 by pivot 1 10. The rod 102 is of course in a position drawn to the left as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2 during lateral movement of the transfer block 98 and after the block 98 is in its lateral transfer position the rod 102 then advances to move the filter plug 100 from the transfer block 98 into an aligned bore 112 provided in holding block 114 where it is then in position to be subsequently received by the rearrnost end 116 of injection nipple 1 18 during a subsequent forward movement of the plug advancing rod 102 at which time the end 116 of the injection nipple 118 is in a position contacting the holding block 114 and movement forward of the injection nipple ready for insertion into a hollow cigarette paper tube length.

The injection nipple is carried by an injection nipple rod 120 which is mounted for reciprocal movement in directions indicated by arrow 122 in FIG. 2. The rod 120 is driven by reciprocable movement by means of a secondary drive shaft 124 which is secured to and rotates wheel or disc 126. The wheel 126 carries a stub 128 upon which is mounted a cam member 130 having a shallow V-shaped cam aperture, and which in turn is secured to an arm 132 rotatably carried by shaft 134 which is rotatably secured to a second arm 136 having an oval and elongate cam surface 138 which engages over a projecting pin 140 carried by the rod 120. With this arrangement, it will be appreciated that continuous rotation of shaft 124 will impart intermittent reciprocal movement to rod 120 and attached injection nipple 1 18.

As indicated above, numeral 4 indicates known apparatus for the production of an elongate hollow tube of cigarette paper which is drawn from reel 18 in ribbon or strip form as shown in FIG. 1. The ribbon of cigarette paper is rolled and glued into a form having a hollow circular cross-section and cork-tip simulating paper bands 12 are preferably glued to the tube during its manufacture. After the cigarette paper 6 is formed into a hollow tube 10 it is advanced by suitable means through stationary guide nozzle 148 which is supported by support members 150 and 152 carried by the main framing 2 of the apparatus. The formed cigarette tube 10 advances continually in a direction indicated by arrow 154 in FIGS. 1 and 2 through the nozzle 148 into a position wherein lengths of hollow cigarette tube are cut therefrom by a cutting mechanism generally indicated by numeral 156 and which severs the continuously advancing end of the cigarette tube into cigarette tube lengths. The tube cutting mechanism preferably consists of a scissor type cutting arrangement having two lower cutting blades (indicated in the drawings by a single number 158) which are parallel and spaced apart a distance to accommodate a downwardly moving upper cutting blade 160 which passes therebetween and which results in severing of cigarette tube lengths. Movement of the upper cutting blade is effected by reciprocally movable rod 162 which carries a bar 164 which bears against a projection 166 on the upper cutting blade 160 to pivot the blade 160 (against spring action not shown) downwardly between the lower blades 158. In order to allow for the fact that the cigarette tube is continually advancing without interruption, the scissor arrangement is mounted for horizontal reciprocal movement in a direction indicated by the double-headed arrow 168 in FIG. 2, and during the actual cutting and severing movement the scissor arrangement moves from the position shown in full line in FIG. 2 to the left at the same speed as the advancing tube to accomplish the severing in a precise manner without disturbing the continuing advancement of the tube of cigarette paper. In order to provide a clean, precise and efficient severing a scissor arrangement having two lower blades and a single upper blade with the upper blade during severing passing into the accommodating space provided between the two lower blades results in a severing from the tube of a thin circular sliver of cigarette paper. This cutting arrangement provides that the ends of the cigarette tubes are cleanly cut. A discharge chute 170 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is provided to receive the circular slivers of paper cut by the scissor assembly and to discharge same into a suitable receptacle (not shown). A cigarette tube length which has been severed and having the corktipped simulated strip provided at the leading end then advances into a slot 172 provided in a slotted drum 174 with the slot being in alignment with an advancing cigarette tube length 176 (FIG. 2). Once the advancing cigarette tube length is positioned in the slot 172 a clamping member 178 (shown only in FIG. 1) then is lowered over the slot 172 to maintain the tube length 176 therein during insertion of a filter plug into the forward end thereof. This clamping member 178 is secured to a rocker arm 180 which in turn is pivotally secured to framing of the machine by a pivot pin 181 while the other end of the rocker arm 180 is provided with a cam stud 184 which rides on an eccentric cam wheel 186 carried by and rotated by the revolving main drive axle 54. Thus, for each revolution of the drive axle 54 the rocker arm 180 moves into and out of clamping contact with one of slots provided in the slotted drum. The slotted drum is driven in indexed rotation and intermittently rotates so that the parallel slots provided thereon sequentially come into alignment with the advancing cigarette tube lengths and once a slot receives a cigarette tube length, the clamping member 178 lowers to hold the tube during filter tube insertion. It is during the stopped motion of the slotted wheel when a hollow cigarette tube length is positioned in a slot and held therein by clamping device 178 that the filter plug injection rod 120 advances forwardly in a direction towards the right as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 to insert a filter plug into the open end of the cigarette tube length. This may possibly be better seen with reference to FIG. 2 which shows the cigarette tube inserting nipple'l 18 in an intermediate direction. During operation of the machine, the nipple will, from the position shown in FIG. 2, move to the left abutting the stationary block 1 14 and in this position forward movement of rod 102 pushes a severed length of filter plug material into the end 116 of the nipple.

The nipple 116 which now carries a filter plug then advances by means of forward movement of rod 102 to the right as shown in FIG. 2 to a position as shown in broken lines in FIG. 2 and into a cigarette length carried by the slotted drum. Retractive movement of the rod 120 then withdraws the nipple from within the cigarette tube length and the plug is held within the length by means of a reciprocally mounted stripped plate 190 which prevents withdrawal of the plug with the nipple. While not shown in the drawing the inner side of the nipple is provided with a thin longitudinal slot to receive an outer end 192 of the stripper plate 190 with the result that as the nipple is withdrawn from the cigarette tube positioned on the slotted drum the ends 192 of the stripper plate engages with the filter plug and holds the plug within the end of the tube. As the filter plug is in a more or less compressed state during its travel from the belt forming apparatus and through the various blocks until it is inserted into the tube length and as the nipple is withdrawn from the tube length and the filter plug held therein by the stripper plate the compressed filter plug material then expands to completely fill the interior end of the cigarette length.

A more detailed view of the stripper plate is shown in attached FIG. 4. The drive for the stripper plate is provided by a secondary rotating axle 194 which carries a worm gear 196 which in turn meshes with a gear 198 carried by cross shaft 200 and which in turn carries a cog wheel 202. Movement of the cog wheel 202 in a direction as indicated by the arrow results in camming action being imparted to lever 204 which is secured through suitable pivoting mechanism comprising arm 206 and slide arm 208 to the innermost end of the stripper plate 190. The apparatus is indexed so that as the nipple is being withdrawn from within the cigarette filter tube length, the stripper plate 190 is caused to move outwardly in a direction indicated by arrow 210, in FIG. 4 to engage in the thin slot (not shown) provided in the nipple and maintain the filter plug in exact position within the end of the cigarette tube length and flush therewith. Continued rotation of the cog wheel 202 in the direction indicated by the arrow then results in a retraction of the stripper plate from the path of movement of the advancing nipple and the stripper plate advances again only when the nipple is being withdrawn from a subsequent cigarette tube length into which a filter plug has been positioned. As indicated at FIG. 2, the length of the nipple is such that it holds a number of end-to-end axially aligned filter plugs, and it is only the plug at the forward end of the nipple which is deposited in the open end of the cigarette length. Thus, as seen in FIG. 2, the stripper plate will contact the second filter plug from the forward end in the nipple during withdrawal of the nipple and this movement results in the first plug being left in the open end of the cigarette plug while at the same time advancing the second plug to a position adjacent the insertion end of the nipple and it is this latter plug that is then inserted into the next cigarette filter tube being formed.

After insertion of the plug and unclamping movement of the clamping member 178, the slotted drum 174 then rotates one indexed position so that the finished cigarette tube is discharged into a chute 212 which may be an inclined chute, or alternatively a simple conveyor belt arrangement which conveys the finished cigarette tube products away from the apparatus to further apparatus suitable for packaging the tube lengths into containers for sale.

As indicated above the individual filter plugs will expand somewhat after their release in the ends of the tube lengths and while this expansion pressure will act to hold the plugs in position, it is preferable that the plugs be glued into the tube lengths. This may be accomplished by employing a glue pot 214 (shown in full ines in FIG. 1 and in broken lines in FIG. 2) connected by the tube or conduit 215 to holding block 114 which is provided with a connecting aperture permitting flow of glue to the bore provided therein. Thus, as the individual'filter plugs pass through the bore in block 114 they receive a strip of glue, or other suitable adhesive, which subsequently serves to securely hold the plugs in their respective tube lengths. The tube or conduit 215 may be provided with suitable means such as a flow control valve 216 in order to regulate glue application.

FIG. 1 specifically shows the filter material as being in the form of filter rope or tow. As an alternative, however, the reel 18 could hold a ribbon or width of filter material 218. If this latter is used the apparatus is equipped with a pair of corrugated or embossed pleating rollers 220 and 222 through which the filter ribbon passes to receive accordian-type pleats. The ribbon then passes through a compression pleating funnel or garniture 224 (supported by member 226 secured to framing 2) which laterally compacts the filter material ribbon into a filter rope or tow.

The filter material used whether it be in ribbon or rope or tow form can be cellulose or acetate or any suitable material. However, in view of consumer demand the use of acetate filter material is preferred. Operational speed of the apparatus is approximately the same whether rope or tow, or ribbon, is used.

In operation, the apparatus indicated generally at numeral 4 continuously makes cigarette tube lengths and these lengths are sequentially held on the slotted drum during insertion of the filter plugs.

Movement of the various moving parts of the apparatus are precisely indexed for simultaneous or altemative movement to provide continuous uninterrupted production of cigarette paper filter tubes. Thus as the belt 22 moves forwardly, the circular knife is withdrawn and the bore in the transfer block is in alignment with the advancing filter tow to receive a severed filter plug. The belt stops, a filter is severed and the transfer block moves laterally with its bore in alignment with the filter plug advancing rod, and the filter plug advancing rod then moves to displace a filter plug from into the injection nipple, and the nipple then moves to insert a filter plug into a clamped cigarette tube length. These movements then repeat sequentially as will be understood.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for producing cigarette paper filter tubes comprising an assembly for continuously forming a cigarette paper into a hollow elongate tube and means for sequentially cutting cigarette tube lengths from an advancing leading end of the hollow elongate tube, and apparatus for forming and inserting a plug of filter material sequentially into one end of the cigarette tube lengths, and clamping means for holding the cigarette tube lengths during insertion of the plugs of filter material, the apparatus for fonning and inserting a plug of filter material consisting of an indexed intermittently moving endless belt carrying and advancing filter material, the endless belt advancing the filter material in the form of a rope or tow incremental distances equal to a desired length of a plug of filter material, and severing means for sequentially severing filter plugs of equal and constant length from a leading end of the filter rope or tow, the leading end of the filter rope or tow being received within a bore in a stationary block prior to its being severed into a filter plug, intermittent movement of the leading edge of the filter rope or tow advancing a severed plug of filter material from the bore in the stationary block into an axially aligned bore in a transfer block, the transfer block being reciprocally movable to a lateral position wherein its bore is in axial alignment with a clamped cigarette tube length, and a reciprocally movable filter plug advancing rod operable to push a filter plug from the transfer block into an end of a hollow filter plug injection nipple in axial alignment therewith, the hollow filter plug injection nipple being mounted on a reciprocally movable injection nipple rod with forward movement of the injection nipple rod moving the injection nipple into a clamped cigarette tube length, and restraining means to hold one plug of filter material within the cigarette tube length during retraction of the said injection nipple.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the endless belt is entrained around and driven by a drive pulley, incremental rotative movement of the drive pulley moving the belt and carried filter material rope or tow a distance equal to the desired length of a plug of filter material, substitution of drive pulleys of greater or lesser diameter providing regulation of length of plug of filter material being produced.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein filter material is supplied to the endless belt from a rotatable reel assembly.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the filter material supplied to the endless belt is in rope or tow form.

5. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the filter material supplied to the endless belt is in the form of a ribbon, the ribbon passing between a pair of mating embossing rollers and through a gamiture or pleating funnel prior to its contact with the endless belt.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the said severing means comprises a circular rotating knife mounted for reciprocal transverse movement into and out of path of movement of the leading end of the filter rope or tow.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for cutting the hollow elongate tube sequentially into cigarette tube lengths consists of a scissors assembly comprising an upper blade and two parallel lower blades spaced apart a distance to receive the upper blade during cutting, the scissors assembly severing a sliver of cigarette paper from the tube during cutting.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1, the restraining means including a stripper plate mounted for reciprocal movement in a direction normal to the direction of reciprocal movement of the injection nipple, an edge of the stripper plate entering a longitudinal slot provided along one side of the injection nipple and engaging a filter plug carried thereby to hold a filter plug in flush alignment with an end of the cigarette tube length, during retraction of the injection nipple therefrom.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1 including a holding block having a bore in axial alignment with the filter plug advancing rod and a supply of glue or adhesive in communication with the latter bore, glue being applied to the filter plugs during passage through the holding block to secure the filter plugs within a cigarette tube length after their positioning therein.

10. Apparatus according to claim 6, the circular knife during severing of the filter material rope or tow passing between a supporting block and the said stationary block, and ledger plates loosely carried by the supporting and stationary blocks, the circular knife passing between the ledger plates to effect selfsharpening of the knife.

11. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the clamping means includes an indexed intermittently rotatable slotted drum having a plurality of longitudinally extending slots provided circumferentially therearound, the slots sequentially receiving cigarette tube lengths during incremental indexed rotation of the slotted drum, and a clamping member reciprocally mounted to clamp a cigarette tube length in a slot in axial alignment with the filter plug injection nipple. 

1. Apparatus for producing cigarette paper filter tubes comprising an assembly for continuously forming a cigarette paper into a hollow elongate tube and means for sequentially cutting cigarette tube lengths from an advancing leading end of the hollow elongate tube, and apparatus for forming and inserting a plug of filter material sequentially into one end of the cigarette tube lengths, and clamping means for holding the cigarette tube lengths during insertion of the plugs of filter material, the apparatus for forming and inserting a plug of filter material consisting of an indexed intermittently moving endless belt carrying and advancing filter material, the endless belt advancing the filter material in the form of a rope or tow incremental distances equal to a desired length of a plug of filter material, and severing means for sequentially severing filter plugs of equal and constant length from a leading end of the filter rope or tow, the leading end of the filter rope or tow being received within a bore in a stationary block prior to its being severed into a filter plug, intermittent movement of the leading edge of the filter rope or tow advancing a severed plug of filter material from the bore in the stationary block into an axially aligned bore in a transfer block, the transfer block being reciprocally movable to a lateral position wherein its bore is in axial alignment with a clamped cigarette tube length, and a reciprocally movable filter plug advancing rod operable to push a filter plug from the transfer block into an end of a hollow filter plug injection nipple in axial alignment therewith, the hollow filter plug injection nipple being mounted on a reciprocally movable injection nipple rod with forward movement of the injection nipple rod moving the injection nipple into a clamped cigarette tube length, and restraining means to hold one plug of filter material within the cigarette tube length during retraction of the said injection nipple.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the endless belt is entrained around and driven by a drive pulley, incremental rotative movement of the drive pulley moving the belt and carried filter material rope or tow a distance equal to the desired length of a plug of filter material, substitution of drive pulleys of greater or lesser diameter providing regulation of length of plug of filter material being produced.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein filter material is supplied to the endless belt from a rotatable reel assembly.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the filter material supplied to the endless belt is in rope or tow form.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the filter material supplied to the endless belt is in the form of a ribbon, the ribbon passing between a pair of mating embossing rollers and through a garniture or pleating funnel prior to its contact with the endless belt.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the said severing means comprises a circular rotating knife mounted for reciprocal transverse movement into and out of path of movement of the leading end of the filter rope or tow.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for cutting the hollow elongate tube sequentially into cigarette tube lengths consists of a scissors assembly comprising an upper blade and two parallel lower blades spaced apart a distance to receive the upper blade during cutting, the scissors assembly severing a sliver of cigarette paper from the tube during cutting.
 8. Apparatus according to claim 1, the restraining means including a stripper plate mounted for reciprocal movement in a direction normal to the direction of reciprocal movement of the injection nipple, an edge of the stripper plate entering a longitudinal slot provided along one side of the inJection nipple and engaging a filter plug carried thereby to hold a filter plug in flush alignment with an end of the cigarette tube length, during retraction of the injection nipple therefrom.
 9. Apparatus according to claim 1 including a holding block having a bore in axial alignment with the filter plug advancing rod and a supply of glue or adhesive in communication with the latter bore, glue being applied to the filter plugs during passage through the holding block to secure the filter plugs within a cigarette tube length after their positioning therein.
 10. Apparatus according to claim 6, the circular knife during severing of the filter material rope or tow passing between a supporting block and the said stationary block, and ledger plates loosely carried by the supporting and stationary blocks, the circular knife passing between the ledger plates to effect self-sharpening of the knife.
 11. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the clamping means includes an indexed intermittently rotatable slotted drum having a plurality of longitudinally extending slots provided circumferentially therearound, the slots sequentially receiving cigarette tube lengths during incremental indexed rotation of the slotted drum, and a clamping member reciprocally mounted to clamp a cigarette tube length in a slot in axial alignment with the filter plug injection nipple. 